-/\/-  MP3 Rules  (2005-03-03)  -\/\-
1. No Dupes !

We check complete albums/releases, not single tracks. So a release is not
a dupe if it has different or more tracks.
Exceptions:
1.1.
It's also a dupe if the complete release is included in a previous one.
For example CDM is released, now someone releases the CDS and all tracks
of the CDS were already included on the CDM (excactly the same).
1.2.
You are allowed to create a duplicate release from a release that has a
source of lower quality (not lower bitrate! (see rule 11)).
Example: if vinyl is out then a CD-release is allowed.
If you do that then please add this info to NFO and dirname.
1.3.
All MIXED cds should be ripped as one track supplied with a .cue.
If they are not, they may be duped by another group that releases it as
one track with a .cue supplied.

Note: if you want to release an import-album or some "extendend edition"
then check rule 7 as well !

2. An .SFV and .NFO file must be included in every release.

3. Directoryname must at least contain:

3.1 Artist Name - Title - Published Year (decimal) - Group name
(extra info is allowed of course)

3.2
All bootleg releases must have the word BOOTLEG in the dirname.
Street mixes that are not available at major retailers or only at one
suspicious webshop are bootlegs and they need to be labeled as such.
(bootleg rule start: 2005-03-14)

Exception:
If a vinyl/cd has no title then it's allowed to replace the title by
labelname+catnumber (both!). If there is only one artist on the vinyl/cd
then you must add the artistname.

4. Filename must at least contain:

Track Number - Song Title

If it's an album with different artists (one artist per track) then you
must add the artist name as well ("VA-tracks" like mixes don't need
artistnames).
Make sure that your filename is unique otherwise some sites might
dupeskip it. (You can search for filenames here as well)

Exception:
If no tracknames are supplied by the source (cd,vinyl,..) then you *must*
provide proof that these tracks have no names. Either by a scan of the
original cover of the record company/label (no selfmade cdr or bootleg
covers) or a link to an official or trusted webpage with proofs. If
these "untitled tracks" are part of a big mix (no silence between the
"tracks") then it's considered as one track and you must rip it as one
mp3/cue and give this track same name as the "album".

5. Files/directories must only contain characters; a-z A-Z 0-9 _ . - ()

This is to avoid problems with windows/linux-filesystem and ftp-servers.

6. Self-made releases

6.1.
Self-made compilations are not allowed !
A self-made compilation is when you select tracks from other sources,
put them together and release that as something new.

6.2.
A self-made MIX or completely self-made music is allowed if it's good.
Sites decide if it's shit by nuking it. We won't nuke/unnuke such a
release.
If you are releasing self-made stuff then that must be clearly visible
in your nfo. If it's not possible to see that it's self-made then it
will get nuked as bad pack.
Exception: if the selfmade release is free available at release time
or when you obviously know that it will be available soon then it's not
allowed to release it.

If it's not clear if it's selfmade or not and it's not possible to find
any information about the release/artist/label then it's up to the group
to prove that this release is not selfmade (coverscan, url, ...). If
they are not able to prove that it's real it will get nuked as bad pack.

7. The entire CD,Vinyl,etc. must be released (not individual tracks)

If you think it's too much work to rip all tracks you better don't rip
at all. Releasing the complete CD/Vinyl is necessary because otherwise
it would be possible to make several (different) releases of the same
cd/vinyl/etc..

Exception for albums:
If an RETAIL album has been released in different editions and the only
difference is one or more bonus tracks (imports) then it's allowed to
release the bonustrack(s) only. But you may NOT re-release an entire
inital edition within the first three months.
Example: album released in US with 10 tracks, japanese edition with 11
tracks (1 bonus track that is a new song) then you MUST release the jap
bonus track only (without including previously released tracks of the
US album) during the first three months after first full retail release.
If it's more than 3 months later then you are allowed to do either the
bonustrack-only or the full album.
Moreover, it is NOT allowed to re-release a new edition of an retail
album EVER if the extra/bonus tracks are already included in one (!)
previous release. For example, USA album is released and four months
later japanese with simply a remix from an old CDM/CDS still wouldn't
be allowed.

8. Current maximum directory/filename-length is 128 characters

Because of limitations on windows cd-filesystem (linux has 256char-limit)
and about 99% of the people here use either windows or linux.

9. No fake-releases

It's a fake release when artist, title, group or source is incorrect
(different).
examples:
- Some_Artist-Crappy_Music-2004-GRP not released by GRP
- Another_Artist-Lots_of_Noise-CDM-2004-GRP was ripped from TV or
downloaded from a paysite
- Madonna-Something_New-2004-GRP really containing some tracks by
Marilyn Manson

10. A bad rip/release must be reported by either 3 independent people

(from different groups) or the group which released it.
If you re-release something that hasn't been nuked/marked yet then add
this info to your nfo-file. Otherwise it will get nuked as dupe.

11. Quality

current minimum bitrate is 160kbit
it's not allowed to re-release something in 192kbit (or higher) because
a previous release was only 160kbit.

12. Promos/Advances

If a release is considered not to have every track from the source then
it must be labelled as a promo and can be duped by any legitament retail
release that DOES contain all tracks. The legitament release can be
identified by the CAT number, or more suitable proof.

Promos do not have to contain track listings, they are promotional
material, they are not considered legitament releases, and are still
governed by quality rules.

If you release a promo when the retail is already out then you must
provide proof that this promo is real to make sure this is not a
selfmade "promo".

to reduce amount of fakes (starting on 2005-03-14):
ALL promos/advances must either have cover scans or be VBR/Lame+preset
(any Lame version, any preset, 3.90.3/APS recommended).
A one track promo single release must include cover scans even if it is
VBR/Lame+preset already.

13. Re-encodes are strictly forbidden.

14. Don't add duplicate nuke requests unless it differs from the original.

15. FREE MP3s

Free MP3s that are legally available on the net (artist / record company
allows it) in acceptable quality are NOT allowed to release.

16. SOURCE

The tracks of a release must all be from the same source and have the
same quality/bitrate. Taking tracks from other scene releases or internal
group releases of other groups is strictly forbidden.
If the source is not CDDA or vinyl (tv,radio,web,whatever,..) then it
must be either part of the dirname (-TV-, -RADIO-, -WEB-, etc.) or
mentioned in your NFO file.

Notes:
- When dupe checking input partial text of the release name in the search
field, do not search for the entire album name that you have, because it
may have already been released under something slightly different.

- Radio rips that were recorded via the radio tuner can be duped by a
source that is superior in quality AND if there is proof of mastering
involved, for example, removing commercials and commentary.

- Releases with an apparently incorrect year may not be nuked. However
the year should be correct of course. Keep in mind that a lot of sites
nuke for fake year when it's incorrect. (The Year in dirname is not the
year when you released it but when the record company/artist published
it!)

- If a release labeled as "advance" is identical to the retail version
then the advance turns into a retail release. This means then it is not
allowed to dupe it and it counts as retail for ALL rules. If the retail
is different then of course it's allowed to release it.

- We tolerate typos if it still is readable and either artist or title is
100% correct.

- For webrips (bought online) we assume that they are made from a digital
source. So duping them for better quality (rule 1, exception 2) is not
allowed.

Nukerequest/Re-Rip info for older releases:

Our rules started on 2000-09-17. To describe which of the older releases
are allowed to re-release or nukerequested here are some notes how we
handle these older releases:

before RIAA:
RIAA rules started 1. february 1999. Releases before 1999-02-01 are taken
as is. This means we just accept the nuke-status and you are not allowed
to re-release a group-release that has been accepted. To count as
"group-release" it needs at least a groupname, artistname and
track/albumname. If it has these attributs and it's not nuked then it's
valid.

RIAA time:
With exception of rule 7 the RIAA-rules were active from 1999-02-01 to
2000-09-17.
You are allowed to request nukes for releases made during RIAA period
according to the RIAA rules except rule 7.

There was a 64-char limit for dirnames during RIAA time. However sites
usually didn't nuke releases that had longer dirnames.
Since this rule (RIAA-rule #7) was ignored by a lot of sites/groups we
will not nuke any releases because of that rule. However if the sites
nuked it we will not unnuke it. In other words: we don't touch it. If
it's nuked you are allowed to re-release it, if not then not. No
nukerequests allowed.

general:
There was no bitrate limit until 2000-09-17.
Releases before that date that have been accepted (were not nuked) here
or on the sites can *NOT* be nukerequested or re-ripped because of the
bitrate !

An incomplete tracklist here is *NO* reason for a nukerequest or re-rip.
That we didn't scan it completely doesn't mean it was released incomplete.
We started on only one site and had some problems with the scan-script
first. If you want to re-release something because you are sure it was
incomplete then you must give proofes in your nfo.

The mix-exception that it's allowed to re-release something when the
first release was single tracks and not one file with cue (rule 1.3)
does *not* count for releases before 2001-05-08. Releases before that
date are not allowed to re-release as single track.

The dupe-rule that we dupe for whole releases and not for single tracks
always has been used (even if it wasn't written down) so it counts for
ALL releases even the very old ones.

That a self-made release is only allowed when it's possible to see that
in the NFO starts on 2003-07-15.

Listing non-cd/vinyl source is mandatory since 2004-10-11.

Rule 3.2 (bootleg tag) and VBR/coverscan part of rule 12 started on
2005-03-14.

change-log:
09-17-2000 - first version
12-31-2000 - changed rule 1,11
05-08-2001 - updated rule 10, added rule1/exception 3, added rules 12-15,
added notes
11-15-2001 - changed exception of rule 7
09-16-2002 - added exception to rule 3
01-14-2003 - changed exception of rule 7, added note to rule 1
02-05-2003 - added rule 15
02-05-2003 - added exception to rule 6
03-21-2003 - added Nukerequest/Re-Rip info
04-02-2003 - changed wording of rule 4 to make clear that one-track mixes
with lots of artists don't need artistname in filename
05-17-2003 - added exception to rule 4, added rule 16
07-15-2003 - rules 6 changed (selfmade rels in nfo)
09-28-2003 - added "retail" to rule 7 to make sure it does not count for
advance/promos
09-28-2003 - "promo proof after retail" sentence added to rule 12
12-14-2003 - added "advance" note
12-23-2003 - added "decimal" to rule 3
10-11-2004 - added explanation to rule 9 (fakes), rule 16: listing
non-cd/vinyl source is mandatory now, typo note and webrip
note added
12-14-2004 - fake year notes added
03-03-2005 - added bootleg info to rule 3 (3.2), start: 2005-03-14
03-03-2005 - added VBR + cover scan info to rule 12, start: 2005-03-14
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